We often think of childhood trauma as something that happens offline—neglect, abuse, or violence. But a growing body of evidence now shows that cyberbullying and PTSD in teens are more closely linked than we realized. A new national study shows that all types of cyberbullying, from direct threats to online exclusion or gossip, can cause trauma strong enough to meet clinical PTSD criteria.
And it’s more common than you might think: nearly 9 out of 10 teens in the study had experienced at least one form of cyberbullying.
Online Trauma Is Real
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire surveyed nearly 2,700 teens across the U.S. (ages 13–17). They asked teens about 18 different types of cyberbullying—everything from being excluded from group chats to impersonation and online stalking. Then, they measured symptoms of post-traumatic stress using a validated clinical scale.
Their findings were clear: every type of cyberbullying carried similar risks for PTSD symptoms. Surprisingly, subtle behaviors like being ignored, left out, or talked about behind one’s back had just as much emotional impact as explicit threats.
Frequency, Not Form, Predicts PTSD
Cyberbullying and PTSD in Teens: Even Small Acts Add Up
The most powerful predictor of trauma wasn’t the type of bullying—but how often it happened. Whether a teen was targeted with cruel comments, social exclusion, or direct threats, the risk of PTSD symptoms increased with every incident. Girls and younger teens were slightly more vulnerable, but once researchers accounted for the volume of bullying, those demographic differences faded.
In short: the more often teens were bullied, the more they suffered. Cyberbullying accounted for 32% of the differences in trauma levels across the group.
Why This Matters for Mental Health Providers
This research challenges the common belief that only serious or extreme bullying causes trauma. It shows us that even subtle forms of online mistreatment can damage a teen’s sense of safety, belonging, and self-worth. For mental health professionals, especially those in youth psychiatry and trauma-informed care, this study reinforces the need to screen for digital abuse as a legitimate form of trauma.
Clinics, schools, and parents must be ready to respond—not just with discipline, but with psychological support and tools like mindfulness, grounding techniques, and even neurofeedback or biofeedback therapies.
A Call for Trauma-Informed Digital Safety
Creating emotionally safe environments—both online and offline—is essential. The researchers emphasize that teachers, counselors, and caregivers need better training to spot trauma, understand its digital causes, and respond with empathy and evidence-based support.
Whether it's supportive friendships, family connection, or access to emerging therapies like neurofeedback, helping teens recover from cyberbullying starts with acknowledging the trauma it causes.
Discover more at https://interventionalpsychiatry.org/
References
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2025). Cyberbullying through the lens of trauma: an empirical examination of US youth. BMC Public Health, 25, 1709. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-025-22692-6
Florida Atlantic University. (2025, May 19). All types of cyberbullying cause trauma, new study finds. Neuroscience News:https://neurosciencenews.com/cyberbullying-ptsd-youth-26057/
Read more topics from the Interventional Psychiatry News & Subscribe to our Newsletter
Editorial Disclaimer:
This article was produced using a combination of editorial tools, including AI, as part of our content development process. All content is reviewed by human editors before publication.